In epigenetics <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics>, *paramutation* is
an interaction between two alleles <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleles> of
a single locus <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_%28genetics%29>,
resulting in a heritable change of one allele that is induced by the other
allele. Paramutation violates Mendel's first law, which states that in the
process of the formation of the gametes (egg or sperm) the allelic pairs
separate, one going to each gamete, and that each gene remains completely
uninfluenced by the other. In paramutation an allele in one generation
heritably affects the other allele in future generations, even if the allele
causing the change is itself not transmitted. What may be transmitted in
such a case are RNAs such as piRNAs <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PiRNA>,
siRNAs <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiRNA>,
miRNAs<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiRNA>or other regulatory
RNAs <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA>. These are packaged in egg or sperm
and cause paramutation upon transmission to the next generation. This means
that RNA is a molecule of inheritance, just like DNA.

Wikipedia

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